Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, longtime beloved priest Loyola-Chicago The men’s basketball team, who became a folk hero during its Cinderella run to the Final Four in 2018, died Thursday, the school said.
She was 106 years old.
“In many roles at Loyola during more than 60 years, Sister Jean was an invaluable source of wisdom and grace for generations of students, faculty and staff,” said Loyola President Mark C. Reed. “While we feel a sense of grief and loss, there is great joy in her legacy. Her presence was a profound blessing to our entire community, and her spirit lives on in the lives of thousands. In her honor, we can aspire to share with others the love and compassion Sister Jean shared.”
Sister Jean – born Dolores Bertha Schmidt on August 21, 1919, then took the name Sister Jean Dolores in 1937 – joined the staff of Loyola-Chicago in 1991. Three years later, she became part of the basketball team, serving as an academic advisor before becoming a pastor. He had to step down from his role in August due to health problems.
She was the Ramblers’ No. 1 fan, and this was on display during the 2018 NCAA Tournament, when, as a No. 11 seed, they went on an incredible run to the Final Four, ultimately losing to Michigan. Sister Jean, then 98, was with them every step of the way, praying for the team – and its opponents – before each game and encouraging the Ramblers to work hard, play together and play smart.
And what if they lose? She regularly told them not to sweat; It just wasn’t meant to be.
“He’s an incredible guy,” Loyola-Chicago star guard Clayton Custer said at the time.
Fans throughout college basketball and beyond agreed.
She became an international celebrity during the Ramblers’ run. Sister Jean bobbleheads and athletic apparel sold out quickly. She was the subject of countless national TV interviews. And there were news conferences for that before the games. During the loss to Michigan at the Alamodome in San Antonio, the T-shirts read “Win One for the Nuns!” And a sign in the crowd encouraged Wolverine to follow “Gene’s plan”.
His fame did not diminish even in the coming years.
When she turned 100, Loyola-Chicago announced a scholarship fund and endowment in her honor to aid students, and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker proclaimed August 21, 2019, “Sister Jean Day” throughout the state. When she turned 103, the Chicago Train Station Plaza on the Loyola campus was renamed in her honor, with a large sign reading “Home of the world-famous Sister Jean!” There to welcome visitors. And when she turned 105, she received an announcement from President Joe Biden — who had sent her flowers on at least one previous occasion.
Biden’s message, in part, said to Sister Jean: “You have shown us all that your life has been well lived.”
She also remained close to the team.
When Loyola-Chicago qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2021, the vaccinated Sister Jean was cleared to travel to Indianapolis, and before the Ramblers’ second-round game against top-seeded Illinois, she gave them a prayer and a scouting report.
“We have a great opportunity to convert rebounds because this team makes almost 50% of their layups and 30% of their 3s [pointers]Our defense can take care of it,” he told the team.
It worked, as Loyola-Chicago upset the Illini to reach the Sweet 16.
Former Loyola-Chicago coach Porter Moser once said, “She still sends me an email after every game.” “There is no man like him.”
Born in San Francisco in 1919, Sister Jean grew up in a devout Catholic family. His religious calling came at the age of 8, he said. She was in the third grade when she met a kind, joyful teacher who belonged to the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Filled with praise, she prayed every day: “Dear God, help me understand what I must do, but please tell me I must become a BVM sister,” she recounted in her 2023 memoir.
“I think God heard me,” he wrote.
She pursued her vocation at the order’s motherhouse in Dubuque, Iowa, where she professed her vows. She went on to teach in Catholic schools in Chicago and Southern California, before graduating from Mundelein College on Chicago’s lakeshore in the 1960s, where she also coached girls basketball. The school became affiliated with Loyola in 1991, and Sister Jean was hired to help students in the transition.
In 1994, she was asked to help student basketball players raise their grades – she called herself a “booster shooter” – and later that year, she was named the men’s team chaplain. He wrote in his memoir that this role became “the most transformative and sublime situation” of his life.
“Sports are very important because they help develop life skills,” he said. “And throughout those life skills, you’re also talking about confidence and purpose.”
The university said Sister Jean is survived by her sister-in-law Jean Tidwell and her niece Jan Schmidt.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
